Chlobo's Closet Beauty:Christmas Skincare buys

Christmas is almost here and whilst it should be a time for focusing on what really matters instead of material objects, we do still enjoy giving the odd indulging treat to someone we care about.

As a twenty something year old (a lady never gives away her age) taking pride and care with my skin, is an absolute must. I have always suffered with troublesome skin since my teenage years and as I am slowly getting older, I think it terribly important to protect my skin and to prolong that Botox even more.

Take a peek at some of my must have products, and perhaps treat someone you know for Christmas. Please be aware that my skin is a combination of dry and oily, not all products will suit all.

Rodial Glamtox Cleansing Balm £50.00

My favourite cleanser I think I have ever used! It is along the lines of a cold cleanser and is a balm/paste formula, which smells really good. It certainly does what it says on the tin and has controlled my breakouts, leaving a healthy looking glow to my face. This is a heavenly make up remover at the end of the day, helping make up glide off, whilst nourishing your skin with vitamins and natural oils. This product may seem a costly package but it lasts a very long time and is a worthy investment. The bottle is very classy too, in a very modern, suave silver bottle.

Origins Zero Oil Toner £18.50

I am in love with this toner and it's cute packaging in a chic dumpy bottle. I have been using it for just over a month now and I have no idea how I have coped without it. I gently wipe this over my face with a cotton pad, having just used my cleanser. It leaves a refreshing feel to the skin and the scent is heavenly with a combination of mint and saw palmetto. It is perfect for tired mornings and perks me up a treat. My pores have shrunk a huge deal, which means I do not have to rely so heavily on my primer before applying make-up. It also leaves me with a matt face with no oily or shiny residue. 

Cane and Austin retexturizing treatment wipes £48.00

My favourite wipes for prolonging Botox and fast ageing. These pads, pack a punch. Containing 10% glycolic acid, it improves skin texture and boosts skins collagen production. They may sound a bit daunting, in terms of the acid part but it is taken from sugar cane and helps remove dead skin cells and gently exfoliates the facial area. I don't think I will ever stop buying these, as they really help eliminate my fine lines, so please don't ever stop making them!

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum £50.00

A top one in my book, this silky smooth serum glides easily onto skin and helps prevent ageing, boasting youthful skin. It maximises your skins natural renewal, making lines and wrinkles less visible. The winning part for this is, it is for all skin types - yay! Even though it says oil free, don't plaster it onto your face. You should apply three small dots to your fingers, two or three times and gently apply to the face, neck and décolletage area. Do not build up too much product, as this can lead to blocking the pores and pesky breakouts.

 

Creme De La Mere Moisturising Soft Cream £108.00

Everyone knows this a favourite amongst hundreds of celebrities and there is a certain reason why. This is worth every penny and within two weeks my skin was glowing, with lines visibly reduced. I really love the smell of it too, it reminds me of my grandmother's Ponds cold cleansing cream - which may or may not be a good thing to anyone else but it brings back sweet nostalgia to me. A costly splurge but how else does Kate Moss looks like she does!? I do not think I will be able to stop buying this now I have tried it, my bank account won't thank me but my face will! 

Chlobo's Closet Crafts: Teacup Candle

As Christmas is drawing ever nearer (dare we say it) it is that time of year where I feel so excited to be thinking of what gifts I am going to be arranging for all my loved ones. The giving is my favourite part of the season and I enjoy it even more when I get the the gift right. That is why at the moment I am super excited with this gift idea of producing teacup candles. I really love vintage pieces whether that be clothes or interior pieces and I also love a good scented candle. The two together are a great idea and incredibly easy and quick to make, not to mention fun. I got quite carried away making these and decided to give everyone one for a birthday and Christmas gift. See my step by step guide on how to make your own below.

What you will need:

An old saucepan

Wax chips 

Wax colouring 

Candle scent

Kebab sticks 

Sticky tape

Wicks

Glue/round sticky pads 

Tea cups 

Step one:

Firstly begin by buying a teacup of your choice. You can purchase them from a thrift shop/charity shop or a flea market. You would be surprised how easy and inexpensive they are to buy. Once you have your cup, take a wick, which will have a circular metal disk attached to the bottom and your round sticky pads or glue. I brought the wicks and pads from Amazon but you can also find them available on eBay or craft shops. You need to place the sticky pad or glue on the disk and firmly press on to the bottom centre of the cup. 

Step two:

Take two kebab sticks or something similar and stick the top and bottom ends together. Try to leave some room for the wick to slot between the middle but they are quite flexible.

You also want it to be tight because this will hold you wick in the middle and support it when you pour you wax in. This will stop the wick falling over.

Step three:

With your wick in place, take your old saucepan. I measure about two mugs of wax chips/flakes to add to the pan, which usually seems to be enough. This of course, depends on the size of the teacup but you can always add more to the pan as you go. On a low heat, slowly add your wax chips to the pan and wait for them to melt.

Step four:

Now add the wax colouring, should you chose to want coloured candles. I chose a pale pink for mine. The more colouring you add, the more intense the colour. Stir in with an old spoon or another kebab stick, to save ruining anything precious.

Step five: 

With your wax melted, add a couple of drops of scented candle oil to your pan and stir in. This can be brought from Amazon, Ebay or a craft shop. 

Step six:

With your sticks in place, supporting your candle wick in the cup. Very slowly pour the melted wax mixture into the cup and leave an inch gap from the top of the cup.

Step seven:

Leave your candle to set for one hour. After this time you will notice that around the wick will be a dip. This is because the wick has expanded in the heat. You will need to melt and make up some more wax chips, with the same amount of wax colouring and candle scent as before. With this done, slowly pour this into the teacup and leave a centre metre and a half or up until you want your candle to go in the cup.

Step Eight:

Leave you candle to set for twenty four hours.

Step nine:

With your candle set, you can now take off the supporting kebab sticks and cut down the wick to your desired height. Make sure you leave enough length for it to burn down properly.

Now you can enjoy your candle or gift it to someone you love. They are very easy, incredibly pretty and original. I hope you like making these as much as I do!!